May 2017 Releases

Susanna Craig

To Seduce a Stranger (Runaway Desires)

Lyrical/Kensington
Print | eBook
Spicy Historical

After her much older husband dies—leaving her his fortune—Charlotte Blakemore finds herself at the mercy of her stepson, who vows to contest the will and destroy her life. With nowhere to turn and no one to help her, she embarks on an elaborate ruse—only to find herself stranded on the way to London . . .

More than twenty years in the West Indies have hardened Edward Cary, but not enough to abandon a helpless woman at a roadside inn—especially one as disarmingly beautiful as Charlotte. He takes her with him to the Gloucestershire estate he is determined to restore, though he is suspicious of every word that falls from her distractingly lush lips.

As far as Charlotte knows, Edward is nothing more than a steward, and there’s no reason to reveal his noble birth until he can right his father’s wrongs. Acting as husband and wife will keep people in the village from asking questions that neither Charlotte nor Edward are willing to answer. But the game they’re each determined to play has rules that beg to be broken, when the passion between them threatens to uncover the truth—for better or worse . . .

August 2016 Releases

Anna Bradley

A Season of Ruin (Sutherland Scandals)

Berkley
Print, eBook
Spicy Historical

Even the Best Laid Plans…

Lily Somerset has the perfect plan. A quick London season, a proper courtship, and then marriage to a carefully chosen respectable gentleman. All she has to do is avoid scandal and sidestep the wicked London rogues and she’ll be rewarded with quiet, peaceful life as Lady Atherton. Simple.

That is, until one tiny misstep at a musical evening leaves Lily on the edge of social ruin and she’s forced to depend on a wicked rogue to save her reputation. And Robyn Sutherland isn’t just any rogue—he’s the wickedest gentleman in London.

Have a Way of Going Awry…

Robyn doesn’t save reputations—he ruins them, and it’s best for everyone if no one expects too much more of him. He’d rather spend the season in the seventh circle of hell than escort dull, proper Lily to every tedious entertainment in London, but he’s trapped in the palm of her dainty hand, and there he’ll stay for as long as it takes to repair her tattered reputation, no matter how hard she squeezes.

When Desire Overwhelms Reason

What begins as a ruse to deceive London soon flames into an uncontrollable passion. Robyn calls to the fiery spirit trapped under Lily’s prim exterior, and Lily awakens the hero’s heart that beats in Robyn’s chest. But can these unlikely lovers trust themselves enough to let desire overrule reason?

In the damp cold of a Regency winter, a fire burning cheerily in the grate was a most welcome sight. But in the warm months of the summer, when no fire was wanted, the empty, dark cavern of a fireplace was considered quite an eyesore. Even more so because, for centuries, the focal point of most rooms was the hearth, filled with fire, essential to life in cold climates. Our Regency ancestors had several techniques which they employed to maintain an attractive appearance around the focal point of their rooms during the months when a fire was not needed.

Today, paper hats are most often worn for a bit of fun at parties, or are made for a child by parent or grandparent for some make-believe playtime. But during the Regency, paper hats were regularly worn by working men in a number of trades. In fact, the wearing of such hats had only begun a few years before the Prince of Wales became Regent. It was during that second decade of the nineteenth century that the use of these hats became much more widespread among an expanding number of craftsmen and tradesmen. But these hats were not worn for fun, they had a much more serious purpose. It should be noted that the wearing of these hats seem to have been confined to English working men.

Last month I catalogued the different types of fireplace equipment which might have been found alongside Regency fireplaces in all the rooms of a house, except the kitchen. This week, I shall focus on kitchen fireplaces and the many unique devices and gadgets which had been invented to customize those fireplaces for the preparation of food in times past. Though you may not think so, most of these devices were considered the latest thing in labor-saving cooking when they were first introduced, regardless of the fact that a number of them look like instruments of torture, better suited to a dungeon than a kitchen.

And now, the sometimes confounding cooking contraptions with which Regency cooks could contend …

Today, when most of us have some kind of furnace or other form of central heating in our homes, a fireplace is a luxury. Often, a luxury we typically enjoy only on special occasions. For our Regency ancestors, during the winter months their fireplace might literally be the difference between life and death. Though the Romans had had a type of central heating which was used to heat their public baths and the homes of the wealthy, the principles were lost for centuries with the fall of the Empire. From the Middle Ages right through the Regency, the only way by which people were able to heat their homes was by a fire in the fireplace, until the second half of the nineteenth century.

As the source of the comfort of both heat and light, the fireplace was the focal point of a room. Over the centuries, a number of objects had been invented to maximize the heat it produced, while consuming the least amount of fuel. Other objects were developed to manage the fire itself, or to take advantage of its power. Some of these items are nearly unknown today and would most likely be overlooked by someone from the twenty-first century. Many of these fireplace furnishings would have been in use with the various fireplaces in a Regency building. In modern times, a grouping of some of these objects has often provided a valuable marker for cultural historians who study household furnishings. And so, some fascinating facts of fireplace furnishings …

Though seldom used today, gimmel rings had been in use since the late Middle Ages as wedding or betrothal rings. And they continued to be used for that purpose right through the Regency. Long before the Regency began, a variation on this type of ring had become even more complex, these more elaborate versions being most commonly known as puzzle rings.

A basic background of how the bands embodying the bonds of love became nearly as much a puzzle as love itself …

How many Regency novels have you read in which the hero and his cronies share one or more rounds of brandy, drowning their sorrows, or in celebration? And how many times is that brandy served in a snifter, or a balloon? Yet that simply was not possible during the decade of the Regency or for many decades thereafter. It may surprise you to know that the brandy snifter was an American creation introduced near the end of the Victorian era. It did not become common in England until the middle of the twentieth century.

The word "snifter" had entered the English language by the second half of the eighteenth century, but it had other, quite different meanings having nothing to do with drinking vessels. So what was a "snifter" in the Regency decade, and how was brandy most probably served during those years?

Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding are on the menu for traditional Christmas dinner in many homes in Great Britain and in parts of the former British empire, even today. They were, of course, a regular part of many British Christmas dinners during the Regency. But just what is Yorkshire pudding, where and when did it originate, and how was it made?

Kathryn is a historian and former museum curator who has enjoyed Regency romances since she first discovered them in her teens. She credits the novels of Georgette Heyer with influencing her choice of college curriculum, and she now takes advantage of her knowledge of history to write her own stories of romance in the Regency. She now has a career in the tech industry but she has never lost her love of the period and continues to enjoy reading Regency romance novels and researching her favorite period of English history. Though she was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, Kat now lives and works in Boston, Massachusetts. She misses the warm sunny winter days of the desert southwest, but access to the rich research collections of the libraries of Boston is some compensation for the snow and cold of New England. Kat is occasionally assisted (or impeded) in her writing by a furry feline friend whose primary responsibilities are neighborhood surveillance and cuteness, at both of which she excels, along with exuberant purring.

Deflowering Daisy is Kathryn’s debut Regency romance. As a play on the title, she has woven a number of snippets of floral history into the story, some of which may be unknown even to life-long Regency aficionados. Others maybe known to some readers, though probably not used in the contexts in which they will be found in this story. An extended excerpt can be found at Kat’s web site.

Our members’ new releases (along with other new Regency Romance fiction releases) and other Regency related articles are available for download at The Regency Reader – November 2014. If you wish to receive The Regency Reader via email, we ask that you subscribe through MailChimp using this short subscription form.

A Note from the Editor of the Regency Reader

As of release time, we were having problems with the submission form for the newsletter. Please check with the Beau Monde Website for the link for December’s issue, in case we have to create a new form.

When the Marquess of Taverham married at eighteen, he was certain his life would be smooth and well ordered—right up till the moment his exuberant bride ran away on their wedding night, never to be seen again. Ten years later, when Kit is finally prepared to set his rash marriage aside by having his wife declared dead, she makes a shocking return, still beautiful but distrustful, and once more throws his life off-balance by refusing to live with him and resume their marriage.

…A WAR OF PASSION

Despite some lingering attraction, Miranda Reed has no love left for the heartless rogue she married. Older and wiser, she refuses to be a convenient wife for a man who expects everything to be his way with no care for her feelings. Keeping her husband at arm’s length is essential; her secrets will bring him to his knees. But in a battle of wills where hope and trust are both the prize and the casualty of war, the victor isn’t always the winner. Sometimes it takes an act of rebellion to recapture a fragile love.

Bullets, blades, and incendiary bombs—Major Steven Beauverde, the latest Earl of Hackwell, belongs in that world, and is determined to get back to it. His brother’s murder has forced Steven into a new and completely unwanted role, and worse, he has no idea how to salvage his family’s depleted estate. A rumor that his brother had a son by a woman who may be a) the murderer, and b) his brother’s secret wife, sets Steven on a mission to find her, the boy, and—Steven ardently hopes—the proof of a marriage that will set him free.

Confirmed spinster Annabelle Harris is a country heiress with a penchant for taking in orphans and helping the downtrodden. Her philanthropy hides her desperate search for her disgraced sister, the mistress to the Earl of Hackwell. When the Earl is murdered, her sister thrusts her child into Annabelle’s care and disappears. Now, with suspicion pointing at the sister, Annabelle has begun a new quest, to find the woman, and clear her name.When their paths converge, the reluctant Earl and the independent spinster find themselves rethinking their goals, and battling the real murderer together.

Why does it seem that the marriages of so many monarchs are often made in hell? And yet we can’t stop reading about them! To satisfy your schadenfreude, INGLORIOUS ROYAL MARRIAGES offers a panoply of the most spectacularly dysfunctional mismatches in five hundred years of royal history…Brimming with outrageous real-life stories of royal marriages gone wrong, this is an entertaining, unforgettable book of dubious matches doomed from the start.

Lady Serena Ravenshaw is one of London’s most prosperous women, but she’s never forgotten the misery that set her on the path to success. Nor has she forgotten the drunken young gentleman who gave her the means to start her long, tortuous climb out of the gutter. When he knocks on the door of the Ravenshaw Arms to ask her help in retrieving a stolen family heirloom, she readily agrees to help, and to let him stay rent-free. After all, Serena prefers debts to fall in her favor.

Still grieving the death of his twin brother, Solomon Hathaway just wants to be left alone in his dye-making shop—until his highborn uncle sends him to the infamous Lady Serena to scour London’s underworld for the missing bauble. He’s shocked to discover she’s the same bedraggled waif to whom he once gave his entire quarterly allowance. Yet as they delicately tread common ground, they must negotiate a treacherous world of crime, espionage and betrayal before they can learn to trust—and love—again.Warning: Contains toasty warm pastries, scorching hot chemistry, and a web of treason that just might see England in flames.

Regina ScottBallrooms and Blackmail (The Lady Emily Capers)Regina ScotteBookTraditional/Nothing more than kissing

The toast of London is about to get burned. Priscilla Tate, most celebrated debutante of 1815 London, is determined to make a brilliant match to save the family fortunes. She’s well on her way to wringing a proposal out of the Season’s most eligible bachelor, the Duke of Rottenford, when blackmail notes start arriving, threatening to expose a dark secret unless she ceases her pursuit. It’s up to her dear friends, Lady Emily Southwell and Ariadne and Daphne Courdebas, to help her uncover the mastermind before disaster strikes. But more than one secret is waiting to be revealed, not the least of which is Priscilla’s growing feelings for a most unlikely ally, Nathan Kent, the duke’s personal secretary. But will Nathan, no, no, the duke, understand if her secret should be revealed?

A lady is nothing without her reputation. Jilted and humiliated by her once-betrothed, Lady Abigail Lacey is the laughingstock of London. Worse still, the humiliation is now reflecting badly on her family. Now her brother, the Duke of Manchester, is desperate… until he finds a way to rescue his sister’s damaged reputation, and remove her from the glare of disapproving society. He must marry her off. Quickly.When Rector Joseph Fox drops by the Lacey household, he certainly didn’t expect to leave as a man engaged to a longtime family friend! Yet while he never could have aspired to have her, Lady Abigail always ignited a forbidden longing in him. But Abigail has one condition—their marriage is to be void of passion or physical pleasures, once she becomes with child. Faced with a platonic marriage of convenience, Joseph is determined to embark on a sensuous adventure with only one goal: to seduce his new wife…

Charlotte Treadwell is outraged when she learns her gaming-mad papa has just forfeited her in a game of hazard. Suddenly she is the “property” of Hugh Brooks, Earl of Rayfield, a rake and a gambler who couldn’t possibly understand that her passionate heart is taken up with helping those less fortunate than she.A perilous game of chanceRayfield must stop an aristocratic spy from inflicting the horrors of revolution upon England. How can he keep his mind on his duties when the tempting woman he has just won is the fiery daughter of his prime suspect?Love is the most dangerous gamble of all . . .

“With a little matchmaking from Charlotte’s former servants, Charlotte and Rayfield find themselves embroiled in a much more dangerous game – that of love, and then the sparks really fly.”Valarie Pelissero, Rakehell

Blair BancroftThe Mists of Moorhead ManorKone EnterpriseseBookHistorical/Nothing more than kissing

The orphaned Penelope Ruth Ballantyne has lived at the tail of the army all her life but must now find her own way in the world. Fate brings her to a mist-shrouded manor on the Devon coast, where she must cope with hysteria, multiple murders, a bevy of young men who may not be as charming as they seem, and a startling dilemma worthy of the judgment of Solomon.

When the love of his life chose an apprenticeship in Scotland over his marriage proposal, thief-taker Cameron Adair buried himself in his work—building an unmatched network of underworld spies. Forged by his reputation as a ruthless, greed-driven businessman, he has amassed a fortune. But he has one vulnerable spot in his armor—a brilliant, green-eyed apothecary, who continues to haunt his heart. When a murder investigation brings him back into contact with Charlotte Fielding, Cameron sets aside the past to find a killer and to distract a headstrong apothecary, clue by clue, kiss by kiss.

Every woman should have her own Mr. Darcy—unless she prefers Mr. Bingley.

Something strange goes on in that library.

Not one, but two of Mr. Frank Wynne’s friends found the ladies of their dreams at the library over a copy of “Pride and Prejudice”. Magic? Divine providence? Hardly. Coincidence or luck? Perhaps. And to prove or disprove the possibilities, he’ll go to the library and read “Pride and Prejudice”. Day after day after day. To his surprise, the book is funny, and he does like that Bingley chap. His lady doesn’t appear, though. Of course not. But still…

Miss Felicity White adores “Pride and Prejudice”. But while most ladies swoon over Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley is the man after her own heart. Happy, good-natured, cheerful, outgoing Mr. Bingley. She loves him so much, she even rewrote “Pride and Prejudice” from his perspective. Now, if she can only find a gentleman like him…

When Felicity and Frank run into each other, the enchantment of “Pride and Prejudice” and the library just might strike again.

Aileen FIshHer Secondhand DukeAileen FisheBookTraditional/Nothing more than kisses(This novella was originally published in The Heart of a Duke anthology).

For the past year, Lady Charlotte has waited patiently for her turn at possessing the magical pendant given to her friends when they were young. A gypsy girl swore the necklace would lead the wearer to the heart of a duke, which only made sense since Lady Eleanor was betrothed to the Duke of Langley at the time. Now Charlotte’s three friends and her sister are all married or betrothed, and not one of them has landed the most eligible, and quite unbearably handsome, Langley. Does Charlotte stand a chance?Langley had thought his fate was settled: he was to marry the young lady his father had chosen. Then she fell for another, and since then, every marriageable miss he set his sights on has done the same. His mother wants him to marry and get on with providing an heir, but he has lost interest in the entire matter.The final young ladies on his mother’s list have come to stay at Hawking Hall, and the meek and mousy Lady Charlotte seems perfect, until she comes right out to say she has no desire to marry him. Never a man to back down from a challenge, Langley is intrigued. What would it take to change her mind?

July releases from members of the Beau Monde Chapter of Romance Writers of America

Jane LarkThe Lost Love of a Soldier ~ The prequel to The Illicit Love of a Courtesan
Harper Impulse
Historical/Some Sexual Contact

The stunning prequel to Kindle bestseller The Illicit Love of a Courtesan! Life is for grasping and living…Naïve and innocent, Lady Ellen Pembroke falls for a dashing young army officer. Captain Paul Harding has such an easy, enchanting smile and his blue eyes glow; vibrancy and warmth emanating from him. She is in love. In turn, the Captain finds his attention captured by the beautiful young daughter of the Duke of Pembroke at a house party in the summer. Finding Ellen is like finding treasure on the battle field. His sanity clings to her – something beautiful to remind him that not all in the world is ugly. Ellen is someone to fight for and someone to survive for when he is inevitably called to arms in the battle of Waterloo…

For so she was, after nearly a decade of marriage. When she was sixteen, Daisy had willingly, happily, married a man more than fifty years her senior, to escape a forced marriage to a man she abhorred. Though Sir Arthur Hammond had been a wild rake in his youth, he was so deeply in love with his late, beloved first wife that he never considered consummating his second marriage, certainly not with a woman he considered a daughter. But now, knowing he was dying and that he would be leaving sweet, innocent Daisy ignorant of the physical intimacies which could be enjoyed between a man and a woman, he felt that it was imperative she be given the knowledge which would prepare her for the life of a wealthy widow. Armed with the knowledge of physical intimacy, she would be much better prepared to deal with any fortune hunter who might try to seduce her into marriage for her money. And who better to initiate Daisy into the pleasures of the bedchamber than his godson. David had become nearly a recluse since a tragedy which occurred while he was serving the Crown against the forces of Napoleon Bonaparte. Prior to that, his skill as a tender and considerate lover had been bruited about in certain circles. Therefore, Sir Arthur believed that David was just the man to introduce Daisy to physical pleasure. And, what might spending time with true and gentle Daisy do for David?

He needed a solution.
When an innocent carriage drive leads to a few stolen kisses and a hasty proposal, Lord Beldon must find a way out of a most inconvenient betrothal. Miss Harriet Vernon is not the tall, elegant lady he envisioned for his wife. His solution: invite her to his country home. He believes a fortnight with his quarrelsome family will send her running the other way. She had a plan.
Harriet is no happier with the situation. If only she hadn’t been so dazzled by Lord Beldon’s handsomeness and dazed by his kisses, she never would have agreed to his proposal. Marriage isn’t in her plans—she wants to travel and see the world. If she brings her ravishing younger sister to his country home, the beautiful pair is bound to fall in love, leaving Harriet free to pursue her goal.Unfortunately it wasn’t working . . . for either of them
Harriet and Beldon can’t seem to keep their hands off each other, and with interfering families, hot pursuit by other candidates for their hands and a pantomime to perform, will these two misguided lovers ever discover they were meant for each other?

“Sometimes what the mind thinks it wants, the heart will speak another language all it’s own, called love… ”
Janalee Ruschhaupt, Love Romances website

LOVE & LIES At seventeen, Lady Claire Talbot thought she’d found her one true love. But after rescuing her from a dangerous situation, in undue haste he fled to the Continent instead of marrying her. Now, after years of suppressing her romantic side and honing her practicality, Claire is on the verge of an altogether convenient match. A man of few words but much passion, Lord John Reyburn always regretted his decision to turn back from Gretna Green. Now, wounded in more ways than one, he is in the place—but not the position—to correct his mistake. His mission in England is to capture an assassin. And, so, one of His Majesty’s more unconventional spies, John must add yet a further deceit: cold indifference to Claire’s impending marital bliss. For unless sweet loyalty and devotion couple with suspicion and betrayal, nothing can make things right.

Secretly betrothed to a Scotsman in order to repair her family’s fortunes, Madeline Piper must bring Sir Roger Mathieson into fashion or risk losing what she cherishes most: her place in her beloved Sussex society. A sweet Regency romance, A DARING COURTSHIP, is heartwarming and family-oriented. Valerie King has published over 50 sweet Regency novels and novellas and has won the prestigious Romantic Times Career Achievement award in Regency Romance.

Kathleen BaldwinCut from the Same Cloth
Ink Lion Books
Traditional/Nothing more than kissing

Scarlet O’Hara meets the Scarlet Pimpernel…Why must Lord St. Evert dress like an overdone Dandy? His outlandish wardrobe belies the hard unyielding lines of his face. Whoever he is, he’s ruining Elizabeth Hampton’s desperate scheme to secure a rich husband. Terribly vexing, to arrive at the most fashionable gathering of the Season wearing a perfectly stunning Chinese silk gown, only to discover Lord St. Evert is clad in unmentionables cut from identical cloth. Lord St. Evert cannot abide the self-important airs put on by some members of the Ton and takes pleasure in making a mockery of Brummell’s fashion strictures. Conceited frauds! Hadn’t his grandfather’s snobbery made his mother’s life a misery? All the more maddening to discover that the one woman who captures his interest is the biggest pretender of all. He vows to teach Miss Elizabeth Hampton a lesson she won’t soon forget.

When a reformed bad girl meets a rogue with dishonorable intentions, it’s guaranteed to be a Scandal Before Sunrise. Scandal Before Sunrise is the introductory novella to the new The Weekly Scandal series and is being released on June 30th as part of a box set of series starters with six other authors (Jennifer Haymore, Grace Calloway, Sandy Raven, Sue London, Kate McKinley and Vivienne Westlake)!

Consummate rake, Lord Richard Craven, has his heartbroken when the woman he loves is forced into an arranged marriage to a violent brute. To make matters worse, circumstances force him to marry Lady Madeline Knight—a woman he views more like a sister-only for fate to play the cruelest of tricks. Shortly after his wedding his former lover is widowed, and Richard learns she could be pregnant with his child. Madeline Knight thought she was doing the right thing when she saved Richard Craven from his lover’s irate husband. Now her silly schoolgirl crush has left her married to a man who’s in love with another woman. Consumed with guilt over trapping Richard, she tries her best to be the perfect wife and win his heart. Failure is not an option. For if she fails she loses everything, she loves him too much not to set him free… While Richard and Madeline confront the reality of their marriage, Madeline’s life comes under threat. A family enemy is set on revenge. Will Richard learn the truth of his heart, and what is truly precious to him, before the unknown enemy destroys their world?

A man shrouded in grief… David Hartford, the Earl of Castledon, is tormented by the death of his wife. Though everyone expects him to remarry and beget an heir, he is a man living in shadows, unwilling to break out of his prison of sorrow. A spirited young woman who embraces life… Impulsive Amelia Andrews befriends Lord Castledon and decides that he would make the perfect match for her prim older sister. Though she tries to bring the pair of them together, Amelia cannot help but see the lonely man behind David’s grim exterior. Even worse, she finds herself caught beneath his piercing stare…and she wonders how to melt his icy heart. An unlikely match. No woman can ever replace his first wife…but when Amelia is caught in a web of ruin, David cannot stand aside and let her suffer. Can an unexpected marriage bring about a love even greater than the one he lost?

When fallen beauty Daphne, Lady Faville, is carried to safety from a rampaging fire, she’s horrified to recognize her rescuer as Hugh Westleigh—a man with every reason to despise her! But Hugh has been blinded and Daphne must nurse him back to health. Unable to see, he is driven to distraction by her tantalizing scent and gentle touch. For the first time Daphne feels truly desired for herself alone. But when Hugh finally regains his sight will she find forgiveness in his arms?
The Masquerade Club.
Identities concealed, desires revealed…

Inferno Club series finale! Nick, Lord Forrester’s reputation is legendary—both as a lethal warrior and a wicked lover. But when his rule-breaking ways land him in a Scottish dungeon he’s left there to rot, until a mysterious lady visits his cell, offering him a way out. All he must do is risk his neck on the mission she proposes—and obey her every command. One look at the luscious beauty has Nick ready to promise her anything, but he must resist his desire, or she could send him straight back to prison. Virginia, Lady Burke, is well aware that the powerful ex-spy will try to take command of their quest, but it’s her job to keep him under control. Yet how can she keep this untamable scoundrel under her thumb when all she really wants is to unleash the smoldering passion between them?

A DARING ESCAPE, AND AN EVEN MORE DARING ATTRACTION! Melina’s discovery of a priceless statue is her one hope of saving her family from ruin, if she can only persuade the Earl of Warrington to grant her safe passage on his ship to London. But Melina knows she’s gone too far when he takes her for a lady of easy virtue! Thrown together during the voyage, he shockingly comes to realize his mistake. Now he’s honor-bound to keep her safe. But thrust into London’s social whirl, how long will it take before she discovers his scandalous, dark past?

Jane Lark, whose most recent Regency romance is The Passionate Love of a Rake, was released this past November. Today, Jane tells us about her visit to the grand estate of Attingham, which was the home of Lord Berwick and his young wife, the former courtesan, Sophia Dubochet, in the early years of the nineteenth century. Fortunately, this elegant house is now the property of the National Trust, and is open to visitors. Once you have read Jane’s tale of its history, you may want to see it for yourself.

Could you use some tips on how to write that oh-so important opening paragraph for your next novel? The paragraph which will draw a reader in deeply enough to induce them to carry your novel from the bookstore bookshelf to the check-out counter? In today’s article, Cheryl Bolen will share some valuable information which she learned during a workshop offered by author Colleen Thompson.

The six principles which will help you write a powerfully compelling first paragraph …

Do the scenes in the novel on which you are working sometimes play in your mind like a movie? That could very well work to your advantage as you write. In today’s article, Cheryl Bolen shares tips from screenwriters which can help you strengthen the structure of your story.

The Beau Monde’s annual one day mini-conference and soiree will be held Wednesday, July 25th during the RWA National conference at the Anaheim Marriott in California.

Starting with breakfast and the annual general meeting, the conference will include a variety of Regency-themed workshops throughout the day with knowledgeable presenters, including Candice Hern, Isobel Carr and this year’s three time RITA nominee Vicky Dreiling. Our luncheon keynote speaker is the amazing Delilah Marvelle. Plus there will be a silent auction with plenty of Regency-themed items, critiques, etc. for you to bid on!

The evening’s soiree will include music, dancing and the winners announcement of the Royal Ascot writing contest.

With the entry period for Beau Monde’s Royal Ascot Contest now underway, many of us are polishing our manuscripts and daydreaming about what effect a win might have on our budding writing careers. In today’s article, Cheryl Bolen, award-winning published author of several historical romance novels, records her conversations with a group of Golden Heart award finalists. They share their thoughts on the impact which Golden Heart recognition had on their careers and their success in publishing their books.

Lauren Smith has been obsessed with writing since the third grade, when her teacher convinced her to submit her mystery thriller novella to a young writer’s conference in her hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Ever since that fateful day, Lauren’s been a dedicated writer. Having grown up on classics and fantasy novels, she didn’t start writing romance until her second year of law school.

Lauren is currently an Intellectual Property attorney with both American and Canadian law degrees, but she stays up late to write by the flashlight app on her smart phone. She loves writing Regency and paranormal romances. In addition to the Beau Monde, she belongs to the Oklahoma Outlaws and Passionate Ink where she writes erotic romance under the pen name Emma Rochester. Lauren was a 2011 semi-finalist for the Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Award. She was a quarter-finalist for the 2010 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.

Taryn Kincaid began writing as soon as she could and has never stopped. She is particularly pleased when she is lucky enough to be paid for her words. In additon to her books, she is also an award-winning reporter and columnist, covering stories ranging from fires and homicides to corrupt politicians and heroic dogs. Taryn is a member of the Beau Monde as well as the Hudson Valley RWA, in addition to the Fantasy, Futuristic, and Paranormal chapters. Her most recent tale, a Regency novella, is Healing Hearts, which was published earlier this year.

Taryn enjoys reading in all genres, but she says she likes writing historical romance and romantic paranormals best. She has a couple of paranormal stories in progress, but is eager to write another Regency, perhaps a story linked to the main characters in her novella, Healing Hearts.

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